Safety locks



June 13, 1961 cu: 'LIA-NG CHO 2,987,910

SAFETY LOCKS Filed July 23, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.4

, CHI LIA June 13, 1961 2,987,910

SAFETY LOCKS Filed July 23, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I I I L l/VVE/V Toe: C #1 [move 0 0 4/ 27% 8 "57 United States Patent SAFETY LOCKS Chi :Liang (gh'o, 1'27 Feldblumenstrasse, Zurich, Switzerland, asslgnor of forty percent to Samuel Gluck,

Zurich, Switzerland -l ile l July 23, 1957, 'Ser. No. 673,651 Claims prionty,application Switzerland Apr. 17, 1957 10 Claims. (Cl. 70-387) the pin tumblers are arranged longitudinally of the lock :body, i.e. inthe direction of movement of the key, and, in accordance with the number of pintumblers, they require a comparatively longpath, for which reason they are also provided with a:long lock body; consequently, the safety locks :with a cylinder system are not-suitable for all purposes, for example, in ithecaseof thin-walled trunks, cupboards, safety compartments etc., to which, owing to lack of space, long look Lbodies cannot 'be'fitted. Especially is this the case :with 1'the:service key for cash registers and the like in which, on depression of the keys, further direct controlling operations have to be performed in accordance with the safety-lock function.

In order to obviate the aforesaid defect, the novel safety lock (lightning opener) has been devised, the keys of which have a series of gradated longitudinal grooves which extend parallel to the direction of movement of the key and co-operate with a .series of tumblers arranged transversely of the direction of movement of the key, in such a manner that,by inserting-the key, the tumblers are pivoted out of the keyway .and the key is enabled to proceed along the keywayto actuate locking or other controllable means extending into the keyway. It is impossible to obtain this simple operation with'the safety locks hitherto known. The'subject matter of the invention has another number of advantages as'regards construction. Cylindrical lock bodies are dispensed with and the tumblers are made of single-piece flat elements in the form of stampings.

An embodiment of the-subject matter of the invention is represented, by Way of example, in the accompanying drawings as a safety'l'ock for atrunk. For the sake of clearer representation, the figures are drawn on an enlarged scale.

In the drawing,

FIG. '1 is a perspective view of the trunk lock;

FIG. 2 shows the key;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section of the key, showing the grooves;

FIG. 4 shows the tumblers;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal section of the lock in the'locked condition;

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal section of the lock, showing the key inserted; and

FIG. 7 is a plan viewof the lock with the lid removed.

' As can be'seen from the drawings, the lock is composed ice of the following principal parts, namely a flat key 7, a lid 8,'which may be regarded as the lock body, a casing 5 and atop partvll, the latter two parts being fixed on the trunk. The flat key 7 is provided with a series of longitudinal grooves 24 and 24a which extend parallel to the direction of movement of the key. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, all such longitudinal grooves areprovided in one of the two .majorsurfac'esof thefiat key 7. The depths of the longitudinal grooves are ,gradated to produce different pivoting angles of the tumblers upon engagement of the tumbler cams 25 'by grooves 24. In order to produce additional pivoting-stages, continuous slotting may be effected in any 'one of the longitudinal grooves (for example 24a in FIG. 2). U-shaped frames 9 and 10 are located in the lid 8. The frame19 extends over almost the whole lid and serves .to guide the lid in a recess in the casing so that the lid may be displaced a few millimetres backwards and forwards as a lock body. The frame 10 extends only up to .the keyhole 7a and serves as a guide for the key. The frame 9 serves the purpose .of retaining the tumblers 1 and the lock bar 13. The parallel tumblers 1 are placed beneath-the keyhole of the lid 8 and are arranged in succession transversely of the-direction of movement of the key, i.e. in planes substantially perpendicular to the plane of. the .key. The tumblers 1 are rotatably mounted on the shaft 6'whichiis rigidly. fixedtto the frame 9. vAs shownin FIG. 4, each tumbler has a serrated extension 26 atone corner and a cam .25 :at the opposite corner. Arecess 2 is provided at the serrated end of the tumbler, the recesses of "successive tumblers being offset inrelation to 'each-otherby one serration so that insertion-of detent bar 22 will hold the tumblersinthe position shown in FIG. 4. .ThetcamsfiS of the' tumblers 1 each have a bevelled edge and ;the end .of the key .is likewise bevelledin accordance withtthe shape'of thecam 25-in-order to facilitate the action-of zthe key on the tumblers. Bent leaf spring 3 engages the tappets 19 of the tumblers and presses them resiliently against the side of the key. It can be seen in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 that, on the right-hand side, a detent bar 22,-which isrfixed'on the casing 5, is arranged opposite thetumblerszand onthe left-hand side, a bar 13, which-is suspendedon'theframe 9 b y meansof the shaft 16,.is slid ablyaguided inzaframe-like guiding holder 14. The .tension spring 15, which is mounted between a lugof vthe guiding holder 14zandis-haft :16,-serves the purpose of .pulling the lid and lthe bar F13rtowards the latchspring bow '12oftheupper-part er the lock and to close it. Two levers 18are-located-adjacent the .tworespective side walls of :the bar13 and are rotatably mounted on the axle v16. Each leverhas-two projections, one of which is directed towards thekey whilst theot-her acts against the stop '17 whichis .rigidly'fixed-zto the casing. .The'axle 16, whichris rigidly mounted in the frame 9 of the lid 8, prevents the lid "8 from being .lifted' off the :casing; the axle 6 can fulfill the same purpose.

The .lockoperates Las follows: When thilDCkIlSl-lllih closed condition, ithe cams. 25 -:of 'the tumblers 1 wvill be in one plane :(FIG. .5")., whilst:the :grooves Z'in .thertumbl'ers will :beoffset in:relation to one another and-lie above the detent bar 22. The serrations of the tumblers '1 :and the detent bar 22Iinterlock,so that the lid cannot be'sshifted to the right. :ln orderito open the lock, :theappropriate key 7 isinsertedlinto thekeyhole hand against the turn blers 1. :Since'the longitudinal grooves .24xorl4aioftthe tumblers are '1 of :gradated v depth, engagement of :t'umbler earns 25 with the key grooves will fan out the tumblers so that the grooves 2 of all the tumblers lie in one plane (see PEG. 4 and FIG. 6). After the adjustment of the tumblers has been finished, the key continues in a straight line and its tip meets a projection on the lever 18, so that the lever 18 caries out a small rotation about the axle 16 and the other projection acts against the stop 17 of the guiding holder 14 in such a manner that the axle 16 together with the lid 8 and the bar 13 shift in the opposite direction, i.e. towards the right (FIG. 6) and the latch 13 releases the locked spring bow 12 of the upper part of the lock; consequently, the upper part of the lock will, in the usual known manner, by means of a torsion spring fitted on the hinge, be snapped upwards and the lock will con sequently be opened.

Located within the casing and laterally of the lid 8 is an operating bar 4 which consists of resilient material. Bar 4 has bent ends; one of which is fixed to casing 5, and is provided laterally with a catch 21. The other end has the form of a push-button and projects above the casing through an opening; it is urged upwards by spring action. The catch 21 eo-operates with an edge 29 of a recess, at the bottom of the frame 9, in such a manner that the lid 8 and the latch 13 are locked against return halfway on their displacement to the right in order not to release the coupling between the tumblers 1 and the detent bar 22 until the operating bar 4 has been depressed and the catch 21.has been removed from the stop 20. The object of this arrangement is to make it possible to open and close the trunks, for example at home, without a key. By depressing the operating bar 4, the lid 8 and the bar 13 are pushed back completely and the lock is consequently closed.

Serrations 26 of the tumblers are in operative connection with the cut edge of the detent bar 22 in order to render it impossible to effect opening of the lock from the outside attempted through the keyhole.

What I claim is:

1. A safety lock comprising a lock body defining a keyway for guiding a key for longitudinal movement, a series of like tumblers disposed in parallel planes and pivotally mounted transversely of said keyway, a cam at one end of each tumbler, each of the like tumblers having a recess at its other end, the tumbler recesses lying in diiferent planes when the tumblers are in superposed alignment, a flat key having a major surface and a plurality of gradated longitudinal grooves in said surface, said grooves parallel to the keyway and adaptedto cooperate with the tumbler cams upon longitudinal movement of the key in the keyway, the plane of said key being perpendicular to the planes of said tumblers when the key is inserted into said keyway, the gradation of the key grooves corresponding to a pivotal movement of the tumblers out of the keyway to enable the key to continue its actuatable by said key upon its continued longitudinal movement.

when the tumblers are in superposed alignment, a flat key having a major surface and a plurality of gradated longitudinal grooves in said surface, said grooves parallel to the keyway and adapted to cooperate with the tumbler cams upon longitudinal movement of the key in the keyway, the plane of said key being perpendicular to the planes of said tumblers when the key is inserted into said keyway, the gradation of the key grooves corresponding to a pivotal movement of the tumblers out of the keyway to enable the key to continue its longitudinal movement and to align all tumbler recesses in a single plane, a detent bar mounted at one side of the keyway for engagement with the aligned tumbler recesses, an axle rigidly mounted in said lock body at the other side of the keyway and transversely thereof, a two-armed lever rotatably mounted on said axle, one of the lever arms extending into the keyway below the tumbler cams and engageable by the key upon its continued longitudinal movement in the keyway, a stop rigidly fixed to the lock casing and engaged by the other arm of the lever, a lock bar mounted in the lock body for reciprocal movement therewith, and a locking part engageable with and disengageable from the lock bar upon reciprocal movement thereof, engagement of the key with the one lever arm rotating the lever against the stop and reciprocating the lock body and bar to disengage the latter from the other locking part.

5. The safety lock of claim 4, wherein said axle is journaled in the lock casing to prevent the lock body from being lifted off the casing.

6. The safety lock of claim 1, comprising a bent leaf spring and stop means on said tumblers engaged by said leaf spring, the leaf spring being biased to press the tumblers resiliently toward the keyway.

7. The safety lock of claim 4, comprising a springactuated operating lever, and catch means on said lever for locking the lock body in a position on said lock casing wherein the detent bar engages the tumblers, the catch means releasing the lock body, upon depression of the spring-actuated operating lever.

8. A safety lock comprising lock body means defining a keyway for guiding longitudinal movement of an elongated key; a plurality of tumbler means, each having a cam portion in said keyway and a locking portion, said tumbler means being pivotable in said body means in respective substantially parallel longitudinal planes toward and away from respective unlocking positions, said cam portions moving transversely of the direction of movement of said key when the respective tumbler means pivot; a detent member in said body means lockingly engaged in a fixed position by said locking portions when said tumbler means are awayfrom said unlocking positions thereof, and released by said locking portions for movement in said body means away from said fixed posi tion when said tumbler means are in the unlocking position; an elongated key insertable in said keyway and guidedly movable therein, said key having a longitudinal face formed with a plurality of grooves, each groove having a fiat bottom face extending longitudinally at a con I stant respective depth under said key face and being en- 2. The safety lock of claim 1, wherein said tumblers reciprocably mounted on said lock casing and defining a keyway for guiding a key for longitudinal movement therein, a series of like fan-shaped webs constituting tumblers pivotally mounted in parallel planes transversely of said keyway, a cam at one end of each tumbler, each of the fan-shaped tumblers having a transverse recess at its other end, the tumbler recesses lying in different planes gageable with a respective one of said cam portions during insertion of said key for pivoting the respective tumbler means into the unlocking position thereof and for holding the same in said position during longitudinal movement of said key; and resilient means permanently urging said tumbler means to move away from said'unlocking position in a direction of abutting engagement of said cam portions thereof with said bottom faces.

9. A safety look as set forth in claim 8, further com prising a movable member fixedly secured by said detent member when the same is in the fixed position thereof, and free to move when said detent member is away from said fixed position; and an actuating member in said keyway and abuttingly engaged by said key during said longitudinal movement thereof for actuating movement of said movable member.

5 10. A safety lock as set forth in claim 8, wherein said 521,994 bottom faces of said grooves are at different depths 1111- 533,369 der said key face. 1,325,622

References Cited in the file of this patent 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 123,558 Dopp Feb. 13, 1872 483,866 Price Oct. 4, 1892 594,853

6 Sparks June 26, 1894 McKee et a1. J an. 29, 1895 Coseglia Dec. 23, 1919 Ramien Feb. 23, 1954 Gardner et al. Dec. 4, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS France July 4, 1925 

